It's about people. People who do not have a job, do not have hope, do not have opportunity. Who cannot start to plan their lives, their homes, their families. Millions of young people who risk being part of a lost generation.sentence permalink

1

That's something that keeps me up at night. And all of us in the Commission. We need to give those young people back their chances and their opportunities.sentence permalink

+

I want to do something about this. We all do: desperately. And there isn't much time.sentence permalink

Every week I Skype my granddaughter. Recently she asked me "how old are you?"sentence permalink

+

I said, "I'm 72"; and she asked – "grandma, how come you're still alive?"sentence permalink

+

So you'll forgive me if I'm in a rush.

But we have a solution: getting Europe's house in order isn't just about cutting deficits. It's about investing in tomorrow's growth. Supporting the ideas and innovations that can create jobs in the year and decades to come.sentence permalink

+

When I travel around Europe, when I go on social networks – one of the things that really gives me hope are Europe's army of web startups. The entrepreneurs using the power of technology to innovate.sentence permalink

I've seen 13 year olds who aren't just playing games – they're creating them and selling them.sentence permalink

+

I've seen new kinds of healthcare, effective and empowering. In Italy there's one lady, Nonna Lea. She is trying out a new EU funded project, a robot that helps her stay active and independent at home. And she loves it. I know because she says so on her blog. She's 94 years old. Technology isn't just for the young!sentence permalink

+

And nor is it just a "toy" for the well-off. I'm just back from the UN where we've been discussing the role ICT plays in the developing world. How, even in the poorest places, these tools and this innovation can emancipate, educate, empower.sentence permalink

+

And it's for women as well as men. Today, too many women think digital careers "aren't for them". They're missing out – so is our economy. Europe needs digital human capital for the 21st century – and we simply cannot afford to ignore half our talent.sentence permalink

We will also be investing more than ever before in this area. Our research programme Horizon 2020 will not just be the largest ever. It will be the most ever focused on innovation. The most ever focused on smaller businesses. With about one euro in five going straight to small and medium sized companies who deliver innovations to market. And, in its first year alone, we are making 15 million euros available specifically for ICT entrepreneurs and web startups.sentence permalink

+

We will be boosting Europe's digital skills. Cutting unemployment while boosting competitiveness. With a grand coalition for digital jobs. And with grassroots initiatives like Europe code week in October. So more Europeans have the skills they need to capture tomorrow's opportunities.sentence permalink

+

Plus, we are taking away the barriers innovators face online. Safeguarding the open innovative internet so new bright ideas don't get blocked by operators or slow networks. Removing roaming charges so you don't have to switch your phone off at the border, and lose all those apps.sentence permalink

+

And we are making it easier to share and spread bright ideas across the digital single market. I hope national governments can take that final step to agreeing those new rules soon—the rules we need for vibrant telecommunications in a connected continent.sentence permalink

+

And we are doing much much more as part of our Startup Europe programme.sentence permalink

+

But most of all I am going to keep championing this cause. I am going to keep fighting for this issue as long as I am digital agenda commissioner. These people are out there creating jobs and they deserve support – recognition, rules, resources.sentence permalink